Apparatus for concentrating ore



R. LUCKENBACH.

APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING ORE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC, 10. 19:1.

1,397,815. Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SNEAK l. WM A 6 m'inesse 2e jnyerzior 2 SHEETSSHEEI 2i Patented Nov. 22, 1921 I R. LUCKENBACH.

APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING ORE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.I0. 1917.

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D STATES OFFICE.

BUYER LUCKENBACH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO LUGKEN BAGH PROCESSES CO. (INC.), 0]? SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF NEVADA.

APPARATUS FOR CONGENTRATING ORE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921..

Application filed December 10, 1917. Serial No. 206,410.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Roman LUGKENBAGH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Apparatus for Concentrating Ore, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for concentrating ore by means of a combined flotation and amalgamation process in which the finer mineral particles in the form of oxids, carbonates as well as sulfids of the minerals acted on will be recovered by means of a flotation process, and the free metal in relatively large particles will be recovered by amalgamation with mercury.

The object of my invention is the production of an apparatus wherein the operation will be continuous, at the expenditure of a minimum amount of power, and wherein the maximum of mineral values will be recovered.

A further object is to provide a device wherein air will be automatically introduced into the pulp to form the froth for flotation of the mineral values.

A further object is to provide means for automatically agitating the pulp so as to bring the mineral particles into contact with the mineral-selective materials.

Another object is to provide means for replenishing the supply of water, and frothing and mineral-selective compound of the pulp.

These and further objects will more fully appear in the following specification and accompanying drawings considered together or separately.

1 have illustrated one embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings in which like parts in all of the figures are designated by similar reference characters and in whic Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus with the replenishing means removed.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section of the same, the section being taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View of a modification, the section being taken on a line represented by 3-3 in Fig. 1.

1*; ig. 4 is a side elevation of a modification an( I Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the conical deflector.

In carrying out my invention I preferably provide a plurality of receptacles or tanks.

as 1, 2 and 3 communicating with each other 1n series. The receptacles or tanks are arranged on successively lower levels in order that a liquid or semi-liquid, such as ore pulp may pass from one to the other by means of gravity. The tanks are identical in every respect and a detail description of one will sufiice for all.

The tank has a hopper bottom 4 provided with a "alve 1, whereby the contents of the receptacle or any portion thereof may be drawn ofi.

The top of the tank is open and is surrounded with a launder 5, provided with a lip 6 by means of which its contents may be directed to any desired point;

Extending downwardly into-the tank is a plurality of vertical feed tubes 7 which are open at top and'bottom. The tops of the tubes 7 extend some distance above the top of the tank and the lower extremities of the tubes extend into the tank to a point nearer the bottom than the top. Directly below each tube 7 and at a short distance above the bottom of the tank is a conical deflector 8 with its a ex toward the mouth of the tube. The tube carries a circular deflector 9 situated a short distance below the top of the tank and the tank is provided with a partition 10 situated a short distance below the deflector 9. The partition has a circular opening 11 concentric with each feed tube 7 and each opening is provided with a depending cylindrical skirt 12.

Communicating with each tube 7 is a pulp supply pipe 13 from a source of supply (not shown).

A water supply pipe 14 extends longitudinally of the apparatus in proximity to the upper end of each series of feed tubes 7, and is provided with a branch 15 communicating with each tube of its series. Each of the A conduit 21 communicates with the side of the tank immediately below the partition 10, and said conduit forms the pulp supply pipe for the next tank in the series.

Within the bottom of each tank 1, 2 and 3 is an electrical contact point 22, all of which are connected to the negative lead 23 of an electric circuit to form cathodes. The.

positive lead 24: of the circuit is connected to one of the feed tubes 7 and forms the anode. lVhile I have shown but one of the tubes connected in the circuit it will be obvious that one tube of each tank may be so connected, or all of the tubes of the apparatus may be directly connected in the circuit. The leads 22 and 23 are connected up to a suitable source of electrical supply (not shown) and the current supply is of low voltage as compared with the amperage. The preferred current is one volt and twenty amperes.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the deflector or baiile plate 9 instead of being a circular plate secured to each feed tube 7 may be a plate common to each tube, and the opening 11 instead of being circular and individual to each tube may be long enough to provide for the passage of all of the feed tubes of the tank.

The operation of my improved apparatus is as follows The bottomof each tank is filled with mercury to a level of about the lower portion of the conical deflector 8. The mercury is preferably introduced through the line pipe 20, and tubes 17, but may be inserted through the feed tube 7 or directly into the tank. as desired. When the desired level of the men cury is reached the supply is cut off. The electric current being on, the mercury in each tank now becomes the cathode of the circuit.

A mixture of finely divided ore and water forming a pulp is now admitted to the supply pipe 13 and a frothing and mineral-selective compound is supplied to the line pipe. Any selective and frothing solution containing an electrolyte may be used but I prefer to employ a compound comprising oleic acid, rosin, caustic soda, lime, and shellac. Such a compound is described and claimed in my co-pending application for patent filed Auust 16, 1917, and numbered serially 186,642.

he valves in the branches 19 are opened to permit the escape of the compound in ,proper proportion to the pulp supplied by the feed pipe. The pulp passing down the feed tube 7 will draw air into the tube and this air supply will be augmented by air trapped in the tube 17 by the compound falling into it drop-by-drop.

As the aerated pulp descends the feed tube and issues from the lower open end thereof violent agitation will occur. This agitation will, because of the presence of the air, cause the formation 'of bubbles in the mass. These bubbles will become coated with a strong film of the mineral-selective compound to which free metal, sulfids, oxide or carbonates will adhere. v

When the stream of aerated pulp escapes from the feed tube it impinges on the conical deflector 8. .This further agitates the mixture and deflects the heavier portions of the mixture toward the walls of the tank. When the heavier portion of the pulp rises by the pressure in the feed tube it will encounter the partition 10 and will escape through the conduit 21 to the next tank 2. The lighter portion of the pulp, i. e. the bubbles, will likewise rise because of the pressure and by gravity but by reason of the fact that the heavier portions, the water and rocky constituent of the ore, have been thrown outward because of their greater specific gravity, the bubbles will rise in a more or less well defined column around each feed tube and escape through the opening in the partition or diaphragm 10 and form a thick, heavy and lasting ,mineral covered froth. The skirt depending from the opening will prevent the bubbles rising within the zone defined by the skirt from escaping from the tank by means of the conduit 21. The froth will accumulate in that portion of the tank above the partition 10 and will overflow the walls of the tank and be caught in the launder 5 from which it may be removed and the mineral values recovered.

The bafiie plate 9 will retard the upward flow of the froth, and will deflect the same outward and cause it to overflow the walls of the tank into the launder.

If the appearance of the froth in the tank 1 indicates that the frothing is not proceeding satisfactorily the operator will know that the pulp is too thick or that the supply of dope or frothing and selective compound is not properly proportioned to the pulp. It the former be the case the valve 16 will be opened and an additional supply of water will be added to the pulp. If the dope supply be objectionable the valve in the branch 19 of the tank will be manipulated and the proper supply admitted to the tank.

Any free metallic particles too heavy to be floated by the froth or by the pressure of the stream in the feed tube will fall into the mercury and become amalgamated therewith. The pulp being slightly saline or Leavers may be particles which could not adhere tothe bubbles in that tank by reason of the fact that the bubbles may have taken up all of the mineral they were capable of carrying.

The pulp will be acted on in the tank 2 in the same manner as in the tank 1, and free metal passingout of the latter tank will be taken up 'by the mercury in tank 2. The water and dope removed from the pulp in the tank 1 by the formation of the bubbles will be replenished by supplies from the pipes 1 1 and. 20.

The same operation will take place in any and all succeeding tanks and as a result when the pulp has passed-through the system all of the mineral values in all forms will have been recovered.

When it is desired to remove the amalgam from the tanks. the valves at the bottoms of the tanks will be openedand the amalgam drawn off.

If desired, instead of supplying additional water to the pulp as it progresses through the series, untreated pulp may be supplied to the conduits 21 throughpipes 13 between tanks by which means the capacity of the apparatus will be greatly increased.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a modification of the apparatus wherein the capacity will be very greatly increased. In the form of the device shown in Fig. 4 the tanks 1 2 and 3 are of the progressively increasing dimensions and capacity. The last tank 4 of the series may be of the same size and capacity as the one next before it.

Each of the tanks is provided with a conical deflector 8", a partition 10 and a battle 9 as before. The feed tube 7 of each tank is closed at the top. The water pipe 15 and valve 16 are connected as in the form of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A valved supply pipe 19 enters the feed tube and ex tends to some distance below the top of the tube.

The conical deflector 8 is a hollow body with its shell foraminous. The'openings 8 in the cone are of flaring shape in order that they may not become choked.

pipe 8* by means of which air under pressure is admitted to the interior of the cone and thence to the pulp in the tank.

The conduit 21 from the tank 1 is provided with a branch 13 having a valve 13" therein. The end 21 of the conduit 21 which is in communication with the feed tube 7 of the tank 2 is of increased diameter Communi-, cating withthe interior of the cone 8* 1s a to provide for additional pulp from the branch 13 The tube 7 of tank 2 is also of a size sufficient to carry the partly worked pulp from the tank 1 plus additional untreated pulp supplied by the pipe 13. Additional water is supplied by the pipe 15 and dope by the pipe 19*.

The conduit 21? from the tank 2 communicates with a branch 13 having a valve 13. The end 21 of the conduit, the feed tube 7 and the tank 3" are of a size sufficient to take the output of unconcentrated pulp from the tank 21 plus untreated pulp to the capacity of the branch 13.

The system may be carried out indefinitely with elements of gradually increasing capacity. I prefer, however, to construct the last unit 4 of the system of the same capacity as the unit next preceding it. This unit will have means for introducing water and dopeinto the pulp but no untreated pulp will be added and consequently the pulp in this tank will have had its mineral content partially extracted and the supply of dope will be so proportioned to the pulp that the last of the mineral value will be removed from the p r- It will be understood that the lower part of each tank is filled with mercury as before described and that a low voltage current is passed through the mercury and pulp in each tank.

The operation of the form of apparatus shown in Fig. at is the same as that described above, except that the air instead of being drawn into the tanks through the feed tubes and dope pipes is forced in through the conical deflectors. The air, therefore, will not only form the bubbles in the mass but will assist in the agitation and circulation 1 of the pulp and froth.

The supply of materials to the tanks, except the last unit of the series, is preferably so proportioned that the concentrates from each tank, except the last, will equal that of each other tank, it being understood that a very large percentage of mineral is recovered in the initial treatment of the pulp.

I desire to have it understood that I do not desire to limit my invention to the methods of aeration illustrated and described but it is to be understood that air may be introduced into the apparatus in any desired manner.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes 1 have described the principle of my invention, together with the apparatus which it now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways.

Having thus described my invention what I now claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An apparatus for concentrating ores, which comprises a tank, a vertically arranged feed tube extending into the tank, means for supplying ore pulp, air and a frothing material to the tube, a conical deflector in the lower portion of the tank and below the tube, whereby the agitation of the pulp issuing from the tube will form bubbles to which mineral values will adhere, the said cone deflecting the heavier ingredients of the pulp outward toward the walls of the tank, there being an outlet from the tank below the top thereof and above the lower extremity of the feed tube, means above the outlet for preventing the heavier ingredients of the pulp from directly rising above the outlet, there being an opening in the last mentioned means whereby the mineral bearing froth may rise above said outlet.

2. An apparatus for concentrating ores, which comprises a tank, a vertically arranged, centrally located feed tube extending into the tank, means for supplying ore pulp, a frothing material and air to the tube, a conical deflector below and in vertical alinement with the tube whereby the heavier ingredients of the pulp will be directed outward toward the walls of the tank and then upward, there being an outlet from the tank below the top thereof and above the lower extremity of the feed tube for discharging the heavier ingredients of the pulp, and a horizontal partition across the tank above the outlet and below the top of the tank, for preventing the direct upward passage of the material near the walls of the tank, there being an opening in the partition through which the feed tube extends, there being a space between the feed tube and the edge of the opening.

An apparatus for concentrating ores, which comprises a tank, a vertically arranged, centrically located pulp feed tube extending into the tank and terminating short of the bottom thereof, a conical deflector below and in axial alinement with the open end of the tube, means for supplying air to the pulp whereby the agitation set up by the flow from the tube will form bubbles to which mineral values will adhere and the gangue particles will be forced outward toward the walls of the tank, there being an outlet from the tank below the top thereof and above the lower extremity of the feed tube, there being a second outlet above the first mentioned outlet, a partition for preventing the passage of the gangue upward above the first mentioned outlet, there being an opening in the partition, and a depending skirt or flange circumscribing the opening, said skirt being above the lower end of the feed tube and extending below the level of, and masking the first mentioned outlet.

a. An apparatus for concentrating ores,

neeaera comprising a tank, a vertically arranged tube extending into the tank, means for supplying ore pulp to the tube, means for supplying a frothing and mineral-selective material to the tube, a conical deflector within the tank and situated with its apex below the center of the tube, whereby the pulp issuing from the tube will be separated into froth and tailings, a conduit communicating with the tank at a point above the bottom thereof, means for directing the tailings to the conduit, said conduit communicating with the feed tube of a second tank on a lower level than the first mentioned tank, means for supplying untreated pulp to the conduit between the tanks, a conical deflector in the second tank below the outlet of the feed tube, and a conduit communicating with the second tank above the bottom thereof.

5. An apparatus for concentrating ores, comprising a tank, a vertically arranged tube extending into the tank, the upper end of said tube being open to admit air to the tank, means for supplying ore pulp to the tube, means for supplying a frothing and mineral-selective material to the tube, a comcal deflector within the tank and situated with its apex below the center of the tube, whereby the pulp, air, and frothing and selective material issuing from the tube will cause a separation of the pulp into froth and tailings, a conduit communicating with the tank at a point above the bottom thereof,

means for directing the tailings to the conduit, said conduit communicating with the feed tube of a second tank on a lower level than the first mentioned tank, means for supplying untreated pulp to the conduit between the tanks, means for supplying water to the feed tube of the second tank, means for supplying fresh frothing and mineral selective material to the feed pipe of the second tank, a conical deflector in the secondtank below the outlet of the feed tube, and a conduit communicating with the second tank above the bottom thereof.

6. An apparatus for concentrating ores, comprising a series of tanks arranged on progressively lower levels, said tanks being of progressively increasing capacity, means for admitting ore pulp to the tank of highest level, means for introducing a frothing and mineral-selective material into the pulp, means foraerating the pulp, means for agitating the pulp to form bubbles, means for passing tailings from one tank to the next lower tank of the series, and means for replenishing the tailings supply between tanks with ulp. i

7. in apparatus for concentrating ores, comprising a series of tanks arranged n progressively lower levels, said tanks being of progessively inceasing capacity, means for admitting ore pulp to the tank of highest level, means for introducing a frothing and mineral-selective material into the pulp, means for aerating the pulp, means for agitating the pulp to form bubbles, means for assing tailings from one tank to the next ower tank of the series, and means for replenishing the tailings supply between tanks with pulp in progressively increasing amounts.

8. An apparatus for concentrating ores, comprising a series of tanks arranged on progressively lower levels, said tanks being of progressively increasing capacity, means for admitting ore pulp to the tank of highest level, means for introducing a frothing and mineral selective material into the pulp,

means for aerating the pulp, means for agitating the pulp to form bubbles, means for passing tailings from one tank to the next lower tank of the series, means for adding Water to the tailings between tanks, means for adding frothing and mineral-selective material to the tailings between tanks, and means for replenishing the pulp supply between tanks.

This specification signed and witnessed this seventh day of December, 1917.

ROYER LUCKENBAOH, 

